How long to acclimate from hyposalinity?

[Harrison Gordon]

I just got some fish from my LFS, and they said to drip acclimate them because they keep them in hyposalinated water as part of their quarantine procedure. However, I forgot to ask how long, because I'm sure the difference is important, between two hours or four hours or six hours.

Right now is the 1 hr mark, and I have it at 1.5 drips per second.

What do you recommend?

 

[Rattzreef]

What's the current salinity of the water from the LFS and how much does it differ from yours? From what I've read it should be done slowly and no more than a few points on the refractometer a day. I've been bringing a chromis up to match my reef tank over the last five days from 1.010 to the current 1.026 in my QT setup.

 

[Rattzreef]

if the SG and temp match and the fish is moving around well I'd say add it to the tank.

 

[squampton]

My local stores keep some fish at hyposalinity of 1.009 their advice was on day 1 raise to 1.012 on day 2 raise to 1.015, one day 3 raise to 1.018, on day 4 raise to 1.021, day 5 raise to 1.024.

I followed that schedule and the fish did well, its been out of hypo a week now and doing good in qt.

 

[norfolkgarden]

I do it in the bag they come in from the LFS.
Local fish stores are really good about decent size bag and a decent amount of water when transporting fish.

I keep adding a few ounces, once they have temperature acclimated, every 5 or 10 minutes.
Drain half to 2/3 of the bag down the sink and start again.
Do this probably 2 or 3 times.
The 2nd time the bag is really full I will let them rest for maybe a 1/2 hour. Going from hypo to full salinity in one day is a huge jump.
But I've done it every time with hardy fish.
[emoji58]
I will keep them in an acclimation box overnight and release them the next evening *if* everyone else looks like they will get along.
So 3 to 4 hours from bag to being in the acclimation box overnight.

If you can, you would be much better off quarantining your fish. At least for observation and prazipro and getting them used to the foods you feed, and slowly bring them up to full salinity over a weeks time.
Optimum recommendation is no more than .005 salinity change per day going to higher salinity.
Going to lower salinity quickly is supposed to be physically easier on the fish.

 

[Harrison Gordon]

It at 1.019 after almost 2 hrs drip, and mine is 1.026

The LFS said just drip acclimate, and all of their fish they sell this way because they actually quarantine their fish for their customers, they say. For instance the fish I have now I didn't get until a few weeks after they received it. They medicate copper too, and a few other things.

I plan on doing another 3 or 4 hrs depending on what you guys think.

 

[norfolkgarden]

What type of fish is it?

 

[Harrison Gordon]

Midas blenny and scooter blenny . Now on hr 3, hoping to finish up soon. Now at 0.022

 

[norfolkgarden]

Never had blennies. Are those 2 types ok together?

 

[Harrison Gordon]

Yup they're all good. Case you're wondering I've got a Midas blenny, scooter blenny, flame angel, royal gramma, 2 clowns, flasher wrasse. Had a nice scarlet shrimp until a few hours ago when he just decided, after being beautiful and healthy for a month, that he wanted to stop being alive. Ugh!